You already know pitching isn’t easy. If you asked a stranger with no softball experience to throw a pitch underhanded as fast as they can, you would get a belly ache from the laughter!
Just getting comfortable with the basic technique alone is hard. Then the “fun” starts. After you’ve learned to throw a consistent fastball, you get into spin and movement, changing speeds and location. Then you have to learn to control all your pitches and learn where and when to throw them.
I could go on and on…
It takes years of practice to master the skills of pitching. While most people never really master it, there are no short cuts. It takes a tremendous amount of work.’
The Great Pitcher is a student of the game. She loves to learn and is constantly striving to improve. She’s a tireless worker who understands she needs to be in tune with her body.
She accepts her huge responsibility. She can be the hero or the villain. She usually gets too much glory and too much blame. She is the center of attention.
When I do camps with young players and we divide pitchers from position players, there are always a bunch of kids who want to pitch. You get to be involved in every play and you even get a pretty white circle that you alone get to play in! Being the center of attention can be very attractive, especially to the younger player.
Then something drastic happens. When I do camps with older, more experiences players, the ratio shifts greatly. Many fewer kids want to be pitchers. Why does this happen? Many players discover that being a successful pitcher is just too much work. Being the center of attention isn’t too much fun if you aren’t willing to do the amount of work to be great at it.
The Great Pitcher works very hard. That doesn’t mean she throws thousands of pitches. She also has a plan for your development.
Work hard, yes. But work smart, too!
About the Author: Cat Fritts (Hosfield) was four-year standout at the University of Tennessee, She went 49-22 with a 2.91 ERA in her career for the Vols, earning Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman Player of the Week honors in 2009, while also earning SEC Honor Roll accolades following the ’10, ’11 and ’12 seasons at UT. She was named the 2008 National High School Player of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) while at Murfreesboro High School.
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